Reviewed: May 27, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Manufacturer
Nyko

Type: Case & Speakers
System: Sony PSP

Rating: 9.5

Features

Even though the PSP launch bundle included that nice soft slipcase I’m sure anybody who is serious about taking his or her PSP out of the house is looking for the extra protection afforded by a hard shell case. And it seems nearly every hardware manufacturer has something to offer, so what’s so special about this one?

Let’s start with the superficial. It looks awesome. The brushed aluminum finish is sexy and stylish and the black neoprene interior grips and protects your PSP. The bottom of the case has long rubber pads that keep the case from sliding around on smooth surfaces. Multi-color LED’s on the exterior indicate various power modes and the status of the internal battery. The latch is super-secure and won’t pop open during a minor impact.

Inside the case is a 7-hour battery. A small plug is located at the corner and you plug this into your PSP while it’s in the case and it will continually top off your battery. I used to have to remember to charge my PSP about three times a week but now I just have to remember to charge my case (with the PSP in it) once a week. The lights on the case indicate the PSP is charging and when you need to recharge the case battery.

The PSP rests snuggly inside the case so you can’t really play games with it inside. Watching movies works fine though. In order to take advantage of the case battery with the PSP out of the case Nyko has included a short cord that you can run from the case to the PSP. It’s practically like having it plugged into the wall only you don’t get the added screen brightness that you do from real AC power.

My one and only complaint is there is no extra UMD storage. I only mention this because I went into this review after using the Mad Catz Pro case since launch day, and that case allows me to carry two extra discs. With the added value of 7 more hours of play, chances are I won’t want to play the same game that’s in the PSP when I leave the house for 12+ hours.

The Nyko case is also slightly larger than competitor cases. I can normally fit my PSP (in a case) in the pocket of my cargo pants, but this one is just too big. Even so, for ultimate protection of my PSP and the added value of getting nearly three times the use of my PSP without having to search for an AC outlet, it’s a small price to play.

Speaking of price, $70 might be a tough number for casual gamers to swallow, but considering that a second PSP battery costs $40 and hard cases start at $30 it all makes sense if you do the math. And let’s face it – you don’t always have a wall outlet or cigarette adapter at your disposal.

Nyko’s PSP Charger Case offers just about everything you could ever ask for in style and protection and the added value of a 7-hour battery is icing on the cake. As long as you have the means to carry any extra games separately, this is the best case you can currently buy for your PSP.